Installment 16

Elena packed quickly and we walked out of the guesthouse. Tim wasn't there. It seemed like she knew he wouldn't be. We put her bags into the car, and she got into the driving seat and I got into the passenger seat, my hand always in my pocket, playing with the pendant. As we left Ogmore-by-Sea, I felt sad, remembering the day I arrived and how beautiful and peaceful it seemed. I gritted my teeth in anticipation for how hard and rough the world outside would be.


***


We drove along the coast for a while, until near Cardiff, where we stopped for lunch. We went into a small cafe and I ordered an egg and cress sandwich and was served with egg mayonnaise and a sneer.

"What's the plan then?"
"We'll take it slowly, I think. Maybe stop somewhere on the outskirts of London for the night, so you can go back to your flat and turn yourself in in the morning after a good night's sleep. It'll be a long day."
"But you'll come with me?"
"As much as I can, I'll be with you, yes."
"I'm scared, Elena."
"I know. It's natural to be scared."
"What will happen to me?"
"I don't know, Fi."
"I'm not sure I could cope with prison."
"Can you cope with the guilt?"
"I... no."
"You may not even end up in prison. You didn't mean to do it, did you?"
"No, I meant to kill someone else."
Elena raised her eyebrow."
"Okay, I'd bottled it with that."
"So, you'd thought about killing someone and decided against it. Where's the crime?"
"So, I just go and explain that to the police and they believe me? Get real, Elena."
"It will help that you're coming back of your own accord."
"Are they searching for me? Do they know I killed her?"
"They've been asking for you to come in to help with their enquiries."
"They think I murdered her?"
"I don't know."
"They think I murdered her."